Summary of Iran Stories in Today's BroadcastsBehnam NateghiSunday, July 27, 2003
<b>Iran's IAEA Representative Hopeful Iran Will Join the Additional Protocol</b>
• Iran's representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali-Akbar Salehi said he was hopeful that Iran will sign the additional protocol of the UN non-proliferation treaty, which makes impromptu, stringent inspections of Iran's nuclear sites possible. “I hope that we can overcome the problem by the next IAEA board of governors' meeting in September through the measures that top officials are going to take in the coming month," Salehi said in an interview with the official news agency IRNA's daily newspaper <i>Iran</i>.
• The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) named Saber Zaenian as its new spokesman Sunday. The appointment ended five days of speculation over who would replace Seyed Khalil Mousavi, who resigned last week.
<b>Kazemi's Son to Ask Canada to Sue Iran in the International Court</b>
• Stephen Hashemi, son of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, plans to ask Canada to sue Iran in the international court of justice for its refusal to hand to Canada for autopsy the body of his mother, who died last week after spending 15 days in coma of head injuries she received during interrogation. Iran said it was satisfied with its own investigation, including autopsy. The criminal court arrested five security agents accused of involvement in Kazemi's death.
• Iran is prosecuting Kazemi's death as murder, but if Canada complains to the international court, then the court will decide between the two countries that both claim Kazemi was their citizen, Paris-based human rights advocate <b>Abdolkarim Lahiji</b>, who is an advisor to Stephan Hashemi, tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. He adds that Zahra Hashemi's son wants his mother's body to receive the latest forensic scrutiny available in Canada, since Iran's autopsy appears to have been incomplete and subject to interpretation, as seen in the conflicting statements made by Iran's reformist politicians, the conservative press and the foreign minister. He says if the Islamic government had good intentions, it would have allowed Canada to examine the body too, regardless of the question that which country had precedent over the other in the matter of her citizenship. (Fariba Mavedat)
• Canada should ask the UN to investigate Kazemi's death, wrote the <i>Toronto Star</i>.
• The criminal court released little information about the five security agents arrested in the death of Zahra Kazemi. (Siavash Ardalan)
• The murder of a Canadian photojournalist while in Iranian police custody this month is shocking enough, but the brazen and ugly performance of the Iranian government since then has been almost more disturbing, writes the <i>Baltimore Sun</i> in an editorial. (Behnam Nateghi)
<b>Kerman Arrests 300 Looters of Ancient Sites</b>
• More than 300 were arrested in Kerman during the past few days for conducting illegal excavations in ancient sites, Kerman judiciary chief said on Sunday. Archaeologist and former culture minister <b>Parviz Varjavand</b> tells <b>Radio Farda</b> that looting in the area of Jiroft has taken unprecedented proportions, involving more than 100,000 people and a vast area. He adds that the looters are aided by a domestic and international network of dealers that carry looted antiques to Europe through Pakistan, UAE and Kuwait. (Golnaz Esfandiari)
<b>Majles Reformists Worry about Foreign Ministry's Negotiations on the Caspian</b>
• Iran should be flexible in the negotiations in Moscow this week over the Caspian Sea regime, Taleqan MP Jafar Golbaz, member of the Majles national security and foreign relations committee, said yesterday. He expressed worry over news that all five littoral countries appear to agree in principle on a new convention offered by Russia. He said Russia seems to have come to the Moscow meeting with a full hand, and Iran should be careful not to sign the convention. It does not appear that what is being offered in Moscow serves Iran's interest, Tehran MP Elaheh Koulai, another member of the foreign relations committee, said. (Ardavan Niknam)
• Iran is isolated in the Caspian Sea negotiations, since the other four countries have already entered into bilateral agreements among themselves. It seems that Iran should let the issue of the Caspian Sea legal regime to linger unresolved, or try to enter into bilateral agreements with its neighbors, <b>Mohammad-Reza Jalili</b>, an Iran expert in the Geneva-based Graduate Institute for International Studies, tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. (Ardavan Niknam)
<b>Islamic Human Rights Commission Warns the Clergy Court</b>
• The Tehran-based, semi-official Islamic human rights commission asked the special court for the clergy to respect the rights of the citizens. It said it has been corresponding with the court about the fate of Mohammad Maddah, the chief of staff of former Isfahan prayer leader Ayatollah Jalaledin Taheri. (Golnaz Esfandiari)
<b>Jailed Student Protesters</b>
• Family of jailed student activist Mehdi Aminzadeh, board member of the association of the Islamic students association (Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat) said they were worried about his condition jail, in a letter to President Khatami.
• Lawyer Abdolfatah Soltani offered his pro bona services to defend jailed student leaders Reza Amerinasab and Sharif, board members of the Daftar, but since there arrest three weeks ago, the judiciary has released no information on charges against them or where they are being held. (Ali Sajjadi)
• Father of student activist and board member of the anti-regime party Jebheh-ye Democratic Iran (Iran Democratic Front) tells <b>Radio Farda</b> that his son told him in a phone conversation that he was under torture in the Qasr prison, and was being held in a cellblock reserved for criminals. (Golnaz Esfandiari)
<b>Iran to Auction Development of Azadegan Oil Field</b>
• After Japan, bowing to US pressures, opted out of the $2 billion development of the Azadegan oil field, oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said has invited all countries to bid for the northern part of the field. But director of domestic oil company Petro Pars said the Azadegan project is far from being auctioned. (Fereydoun Zarnegar)
.
امير آرمين (راديوفردا): نماينده جديد بريتانيا در عراق، روز يکشنبه گفت که صدام حسين به خاطر جنايتهايي که مرتکب شده است بايد محاکمه شود و نه آنکه مانند پسرانش عدي و قصي به قتل برسد.
ليلي صدر (راديوفردا): جرمي گريناستاک Sir Jeremy Greenstock، در مصاحبه اي با برنامه پربيننده صبح يکشنبه تلويزيون بي بي سي گفت که مرگ عدي و قصي که پنج روز پيش بر اثر حمله نيروهاي آمريکايي به مخفيگاهشان در موصل اتفاق افتاد، يک پيروزي حقيقي براي نيروهاي ائتلاف به رهبري آمريکا در عراق بود. او افزود که اکنون نوبت پدر آنها است. من مي خواهم صدام حسين به دادگاه آورده شود، اما اين در دست نيروهايي است که به دنبال او مي گردند. به نظر من اين يک امر بسيار مهم است.
آقاي گرينستاک گفت: اين تصوير تاريک و کريهي است، اما ما بايد در مورد آن تحقيق کنيم، از مردم عراق اطلاعات جمع آوري کنيم، بايد ببينيم چگونه مي توانيم يک عدالت گذار را آغاز کنيم، و چگونه مي توانيم با محاکمه و آوردن ظالمان و عاملان عليه بشريت به پاي ميز عدالت، دوباره در عراق صلح و سازش برقرار کنيم.
جرمي گريناستاک 59 ساله که به زبان عربي آشنايي کامل دارد، در ماه ژوئن توسط بريتانيا به عنوان نماينده ارشد اين کشور و پس از پال برمر، مدير آمريکايي، شخص دوم در اداره امور عراق خواهد بود. اين سرباز سابق ارتش بريتانيا قرار است هفته جاري از نمايندگي بريتانيا در سازمان ملل متحد استعفاء دهد تا براي سمت جديدش به عنوان فرستاده بريتانيا به عراق آماده شود.
نماينده جديد بريتانيا در عراق در پاسخ به اين سوال که آيا او اطمينان دارد که سلاحهاي کشتار جمعي در عراق پيدا خواهد شد يا نه، گفت: من نمي دانم، من از اين داستان اطلاعي ندارم. او افزود: من شخصا باور دارم که صدام اين سلاحها را توليد مي کرد، اما شايد پيش از جنگ و هنگامي که فهميد قرار است بازرسان سازمان بين المللي انرژي اتمي از عراق بازديد کند، براي اين که دستش رو نشود بسياري از آنها را نابود يا مخفي کرد.
در همين حال احمد چلبي، رئيس کنگره ملي عراق نيز به برنامه پر بيننده صبح يکشنبه بي بي سي گفت: من فکر مي کنم که اين براي مردم عراق بسيار بهتر است که صدام زنده دستگير و محاکمه شود. او افزود: صدام هيچ جوابي براي کشتن صدها هزار نفر بي گناه و آغاز جنگ با ايران، کويت و مردم کردستان ندارد. سر جرمي گريناستاک Sir Jeremy Greenstock، نماينده جديد بريتانيا در عراق، در مصاحبه اي با برنامه پربيننده صبح يکشنبه تلويزيون بي بي سي گفت که مرگ عدي و قصي که پنج روز پيش بر اثر حمله نيروهاي آمريکايي به مخفيگاهشان در موصل اتفاق افتاد، يک پيروزي حقيقي براي نيروهاي ائتلاف به رهبري آمريکا در عراق بود. او افزود که اکنون نوبت پدر آنها است، كه بايد به دادگاه آورده شود. جرمي گريناستاک، 59 ساله، که به زبان عربي آشنايي کامل دارد، در ماه ژوئن توسط بريتانيا به عنوان نماينده ارشد اين کشور و پس از پال برمر، مدير آمريکايي، شخص دوم در اداره امور عراق خواهد بود. اين سرباز سابق ارتش بريتانيا قرار است هفته جاري از نمايندگي بريتانيا در سازمان ملل متحد استعفاء دهد تا براي سمت جديدش به عنوان فرستاده بريتانيا به عراق آماده شود.
